Safety cover for swimming pools



y 25, 1955 D. P. KENNEDY 3,184,763

SAFETY COVER FOR SWIMMING POOLS Filed March 6, 1963 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DONALD F. KENNEDY BY M MMM y 1965 D. P. KENNEDY 3,184,763

SAFETY COVER FOR SWIMMING POOLS Filed March 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8 9

ve FIG. IO

INVENTOR. DONALD P. KENNEDY attain May 25, 1965 Filed March 6, 1963 D. F. KENNEDY SAFETY COVER FOR SWIMMING POOLS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR DONALD P. KENNEDY United States Patent 3,184,763 fiAFETY C(JVER FQR SWIMMING P0015 Donald P. Kennedy, 441 W. 31st St., Erie, Pa. Filed Mar. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 263,239 4 Claims. (til. 4-172) This invention relates generally to covers for swimming pools and, more particularly, to covers which will be kept in the swimming pool at all times, whether on the surface to cover the pool or at the bottom thereof while the pool is in use.

While this invention has particularly utility in connection with swimming pools and is shown and described in such connection, it is to be understood that the utility of the cover is not confined to swimming pools and it could be used as a cover for other purposes.

There are certain problems invloved in connection with swimming pools. For one thing, they are very attractive to children who often get into them when the pools are unattended and, occasionally, a child will be injured or drowned in the unattended pool. Swimming pools are sometimes classified as attractive nuisances and the owners are, therefore, legally liable to persons injured in them in most states.

Also, dirt such as leaves, rodents, birds, twigs, and the like will flow into the pool and contaminate it, thus requiring frequent cleaning. Further, it is possible for a child to be trapped under previous covers.

Various types of swimming pool covers have been suggested; however, they all have certain disadvantages. Some of them require staking down and they must be removed from the pool when not in use.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages in prior swimming pool covers and, more particularly, to provide a swimming pool cover which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efiicient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which can be kept in the pool at all times.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a swimming pool cover which will sink to the bottom of the pool when it is not in use and will rise to the surface when it is in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swimming pool cover on which children can walk without injury to themselves or to the cover.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a swimming pool showing a cover thereon;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the swimming pool and cover;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of a part of the swimming pool cover shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of one corner of the swimming pool cover shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the joint of the swimming pool cover frame shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an inflating means for the frame of the pool cover shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11 are schematic top views of some 3,184,763 Patented May 25, 1965 "ice of the various shapes of pools for which the swimming pool cover could be adapted; and

FIG. 12 is a top view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, a swimming pool 10 is shown having side walls 11 and end walls 12 with a deep end bottom 13 and a shallow end bottom 14. The pool may be constructed of any of the well known materials such as concrete, fiberglass, or any other suitable material.

The top of the pool 10 has a curbing 19 to which eye- 'bolts 26 may be attached with fasteners 27 made up of a cord and padlock 28. The cord will be looped around the frame members as shown.

The frame is made of hollow rigid tubing members 15 and 16 which are connected together at the corners by elbows 13. The frame is made from a material which is heavier than water. The members 15 and 16 have longitudinal reinforcing members 20 fixed at their ends to the frame by weldin or other fastening means and lateral members 21 are fixed to the sides by a suitable means.

A plug is held in place by pins 17. The plugs are inserted in the two open ends of the members 15 and 16 and hold the latter together and, at the same time, separate the insides of the tubing members 15 and 16 so that air from the flexible inlet members 25 is inserted into two separate compartments.

Vertical guide columns 26 are fixed to the pool bottom and extend upwardly to the top of the pool in the corners where they are not in a position to obstruct the swimmers using the pool. The columns are received in sleeves 29 which allow the pool cover to slide up and down guided by the columns 26.

A compressor 22 supplies air through a line 23 and through snap-on couplings 24 to inlet members 25. Therefore, when the user wishes to use the pool, he will remove the coupling 24 and allow the air to escape from the members 15 and 16 through the then open ends of the members 2'5 and allow the members 15 and 16 to fill with water. The cover 31 will then become non-buoyant and will sink to the bottom of the pool. The pool can be used by people walking on the cover on the bottom. This will also provide a smooth surface which will not hurt the swimmers feet.

The sheet of flexible material of the cover 31 may be made of polyethylene or other suitable mesh, perforated, or sheet material, preferably about the same weight and density as water. The sheet material may be connected to the frame by looping it around the frame in the form of a hem or any well known manner.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a pool 11b has sides 111 and an end 112. Frame members 115 and 116 may be connected by flexible tubing members 117 at a joint. These tubing members will allow the frame to bend at the juncture between a shallow end bottom 114- and a deep end bottom 113 when the cover is not in use.

The ends of the frame members 115 and 116 will be plugged at 118 and 11%, thereby forming water tight partitions so that the four quarters of the frame can be inflated individually through separate flexible inlet members having snap on couplings 124 so that the buoyancy of each end of the pool cover can be separately controlled. Inlet members 125 from an air compressor can be connected to the couplings 24 in FIG. 2.

In use, when the pool cover is on the bottom of the pool after the swimmers have finished using the pool and it is desired to cover the pool, it is merely necessary to start the compressor and inject air into the frame members. This will force the water out of the frame members and allow the air to inflate the frame members and thereby make the frame lighter than water, causing it to float.

Holes may be provided at the bottom of the tubes forming the frame so that the water may force theair out. By the same token, when the compressor is started, it would, in this case, force the water out through these holes. I 7

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11 show schematic views of pools 211), 31%, 410; and 5'10, respectively.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification Within a range of equivalents without, departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination, a swimming pooland a cover theretfor, said swimming po'ol having generally vertical side Walls and a bottom, said cover comprising an open frame made of rigid hollow tubularmatcrial, at least one flexible sheet attached to said frame and covering the opening defined by said frame, meansfor fastenin'g said frame to water whereby it will sink in said pool when fihed with water, and means to force gas into said tubular material and to force the waterfro'm said hollow tubular mate-rial flexible means thereon for allowing it to Mil 1 st in shape .to

the top of said side walls, said frame being heavier than 4, V 7 said bottom, said tubular material having a' plurality of separate air receiving sections therein sealedtrom each other. 7 t

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein vertical columns are fixed at spacedpositions around'said pool and means is provided on said frame for sliding up and down on said columns. a

3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said, flexible means comprises flexible joints connecting parts of said frame and partitions in said frame.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein tubes comprise said hollow tubular material'of said frame and said tubes have openings on theirlower sides to allow Water to enter and escape; and said means to force gas into said tubes is disposed at' the top part of said tubes;

References Cited by theExaniiner: UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,918,437 7/33 Torrance 4- 172 3,ee0,017 9/61 Skovira 4-172 3,026,538 3/62 Boyd et al. 4,-17Z 3,052,893 9/o2 McClure 4-172 FGREIGN PATENTS 817,778" 5/37 France. a

LEWIS I. LENNY, Priiifafy Examiner;

EDWARD V. BENHAM, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A SWIMMING POOL AND A COVER THEREFOR, SAID SWIMMING POOL HAVING GENERALLY VERTICAL SIDE WALLS AND A BOTTOM, SAID COVER COMPRISING AN OPEN FRAME MADE OF RIGID HOLLOW TUBULAR MATERIAL, AT LEAST ONE FLEXIBLE SHEET ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME AND COVERING THE OPENING DEFINED BY SAID FRAME, MEANS FOR FASTENING SAID FRAME TO THE TOP OF SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID FRAME BEING HEAVIER THAN WATER WHEREBY IT WILL SINK IN SAID POOL WHEN FILLED WITH WATER, AND MEANS TO FORCE GAS INTO SAID TUBULAR MATERIAL AND TO FORCE THE WATER FROM SAID HOLLOW TUBULAR MATERIAL OF SAID FRAME WITH A LIGHTER THAN WATER GAS WHEREBY SAID COVER WILL FLOAT ON THE TOP OF THE WATER IN SAID POOL, THE BOTTOM OF SAID POOL BEING NON-PLANAR, SAID FRAME HAVING FLEXIBLE MEANS THEREON FOR ALLOWING IT TO ADJUST IN SHAPE TO SAID BOTTOM, SAID TUBULAR MATERIAL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE AIR RECEIVING SECTIONS THEREIN SEALED FROM EACH OTHER. 